SALT LAKE CITY From a young age in Barranquilla, Colombia, Mateo Racini Serje was drawn to the unseen forces shaping the global economy.
I was always fascinated by the invisible threads of global markets, said Racini Serje, who grew up in a port city closely tied to international trade. How a decision made in one corner of the globe could ripple through the economy of my hometown.
That curiosity set the foundation for a journey that would take him from Colombia to the 做厙TVs Muma College of Business and ultimately to a role at Goldman Sachs in Salt Lake City.
Racini Serje first came to USF through a dual-degree program with the Universidad del Norte, earning his bachelors degree in finance in December 2023. Shortly after, he began working in trading and operations at Webull Financial, where he experienced firsthand the fast-moving, data-driven nature of modern markets.
For him, it was a turning point. While his academic background had given him a strong foundation in financial theory, the realities of the industry revealed a new challenge.
I saw that intuition wasnt enough anymore, he said. The industry was no longer just about financial theory; it was about data, speed and automation.
Determined to stay ahead, Racini Serje returned to USF to pursue a Master of Science in Financial Analytics at the Muma College of Business. The program allowed him to deepen his technical expertise while bridging the gap between traditional finance and emerging technologies.
At Muma, he found more than just coursework; he found an environment designed to mirror the expectations of the professional world.
You arent just a student; youre treated like a professional-in-training, he said.
Through hands-on experiences like the student organization Investment Club and the Student Managed Investment Fund, a program at the Kate Tiedemann School of Business and Finance, Racini Serje applied classroom concepts in real-world scenarios, gaining both technical and communication skills essential for a career in finance. He credits the programs culture of high expectations and continuous feedback with shaping his professional growth.
One of the most influential experiences during his time at USF was serving as a Bloomberg Terminal graduate assistant at the Lasher Center for Financial Markets. In that role, he conducted financial research, analyzed complex data and worked under tight deadlines, experiences that helped him develop what he describes as a risk and control mindset.
In asset and wealth management, every data point matters, and accuracy is non-negotiable, he said.
His coursework further reinforced that mindset. Classes in financial modeling, fintech programming and algorithmic trading provided the tools he now uses daily, while a course in financial options and futures gave him a deeper understanding of derivatives, knowledge that proved especially valuable in his current role in the asset and wealth management department at Goldman Sachs.
That preparation culminated in an opportunity with Goldman Sachs, where Racini Serje now works in trade management within asset and wealth management. The path to securing the position, however, was far from simple.
The process was intense, he said. It tested not just my technical skills, but my judgment and how I communicate under pressure.
Now established in his career, Racini Serje reflects on his journey as one defined not only by technical growth, but by mindset.
Your technical foundation provides the tools to solve problems, but your mindset is the engine that drives your success, he said.
For current Muma students, his advice is clear: take advantage of hands-on opportunities, seek out mentors and stay committed to continuous improvement.
Every long night studying or working on a project is a brick in the foundation of your future, he said.